flat spin

noun

An especially dangerous type of spin (abnormal stalled flight mode) with a very high angle of attack (typically between 65° and 90°), such that the aircraft's nose is pointed near the horizon despite an extreme negative flightpath angle (gamma); typically unresponsive to flight control inputs and unrecoverable in most aircraft.

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Meanings

nounflat spin (plural flat spins)

plural flat spins

  1. aeronauticsAn especially dangerous type of spin (abnormal stalled flight mode) with a very high angle of attack (typically between 65° and 90°), such that the aircraft's nose is pointed near the horizon despite an extreme negative flightpath angle (gamma); typically unresponsive to flight control inputs and unrecoverable in most aircraft.
Cite this entry
APA

flat spin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flat%20spin

MLA

“flat spin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flat%20spin. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flat spin,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flat%20spin.

Source: flat spin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.